Bajuyo’s Fashion Week Asia Beauty Looks Reimagine Ethereal Traditional Korean Makeup

Youth, spiritual protection, and heritage join hands on the runway in a celebration of traditional South Korean culture. 

At Bajuyo’s Fashion Week Asia 2026 show at Palacio de Memoria, beauty turned its eye to Korean tradition and gave it a modern edit. The South Korean label, led by Darni Park, brings the hanbok into contemporary life, working with artisans and tailors to make each garment unique—and by hand. 

For the show, Park presents Tie Time: Korea, highlighting the goreum—or the ribbons attached to the front of the hanbok. Knots, embroidery, and rich textures appear with restraint, each piece staying rooted in tradition while still evoking an air of modernity. 

Three distinctly Korean references were reinterpreted by lead makeup artist Gery Penaso, working with MAC Cosmetics, and by hairstylists from Cream Silk: the yeonji geonji, a traditional Korean makeup worn by brides; miindo, traditional Korean paintings of beautiful women; and daenggi, a traditional hair ribbon that adorned long braids. 

“As you can see in my work, it’s a reinterpretation of traditional Korean culture. For the makeup, the three red dots are called yeonji geonji, while the hair is called daenggi. These are all part of traditional Korean culture, which aligns with my brand,” Park tells Allure Philippines through his translator.

Apart from these, makeup was kept sheer and dewy, with a lived-in feel to it. Hair was kept either natural and tousled, or sleek and slicked-back.

Raw, worn-in beauty

Perfection was never the point in traditional Korean culture—nor was it seen on the runway. Skin was sheer and dewy, with natural brows brushed up to show off their texture, washes of muted eyeshadow, and soft nude blush and lips. Imperfection did the work: shadowy under-eyes with subtle dark circles for a sunken, worn-out look, mascara left a little clumpy, and slicked-back hair with face-framing tendrils falling in front of the face. 

Yeonji geonji, reimagined

Yeonji geonji, or traditional Korean bridal makeup, is known for the red dots placed on the forehead and on each cheek. Bajuyo showed two modern versions. One was soft with blurred, diffused edges, leaving a minimal and contemporary feel. The other was bold with vivid, bright red in sharp-edged circles, left unblended against dewy skin with visible texture. 

Daenggi hair

The daenggi, the ribbon traditionally tied at the end of a braid, was worn primarily by unmarried young women and boys in the Joseon era. For this look, Bajuyo formed a daenggi with the models’ hair as it fell behind their backs. With this, the hair looked like the perfect accompaniment to Bajuyo’s norigae-inspired designs.

Miindo-inspired brows and lips

Inspired by miindo, traditional Korean paintings depicting feminine beauty, the look featured thick, full brows with pronounced arches that tapered into fine tails. Meanwhile, the lips were painted in a deep, muted red, adding a rich contrast to the dramatic brows. The overall result was an elegant look rooted in traditional East Asian beauty ideals.